INSPIRED TO SUCCEED

Find out where you can study with some of the string world’s most in-demand pedagogues

Violin tutor Jesus Alfonzo teaching at the Stetson University School of Music, FL, US (see page 45)

MAIN PHOTO COURTESY STETSON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MUSIC. GRINGOLTAS PHOTO KAUPO KIKKAS.

Ida Kavafian

Curtis Institute of Music, PA, US (page 59) A former student of Oscar Shumsky at the Juilliard School, US violinist Ida Kavafian is a recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant and made her debut through the Young Concert Artists. Sought after as a soloist and chamber musician, she has premiered numerous works. She has taught at Curtis since 1998, and was awarded the Lindback Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching in 2013.

Ilya Gringolts

Zurich University of the Arts, Switzerland (page 37), Fondazione Accademia Musicale Chigiana, Italy (page 28) Russian-born violinist Ilya Gringolts studied in St Petersburg, and later at the Juilliard School with Itzhak Perlman. He is an active soloist, performing works from the established canon as well as rare and contemporary music, with orchestras including the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Los Angeles Philharmonic. An avid chamber musician, he is also first violinist of the Gringolts Quartet.

KAVAFIAN PHOTO NICHOLE MCH PHOTOGRAPHY. MITCHELL PHOTO BALAZS BOROCZ

Priya Mitchell

University of Music and Performing Arts, Graz, Austria (page 12), Hochschule für Musik und Theater Munich, Germany (page 25) British violinist Priya Mitchell has appeared with orchestras including the London Mozart Players, BBC Philharmonic and Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. She studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School with David Takeno, and later with Zakhar Bron in Germany. In addition to teaching, she is also the artistic director of the Oxford Chamber Music Festival.

VIOLA

Tatjana Masurenko

Colburn Conservatory of Music, Los Angeles, CA, US (page 43) Dedicated to furthering the viola as a solo instrument, Russian–German violist Tatjana Masurenko has initiated and premiered numerous contemporary works. In addition to performing as a soloist and chamber musician, she is also devoted to historical performance practice, especially 19th-century playing and Romantic repertoire. She studied at the St Petersburg school, and later in Germany with Kim Kashkashian and Nobuko Imai.

Nils Mönkemeyer

Hochschule für Musik und Theater Munich, Germany (page 25) German violist Nils Mönkemeyer is a leading soloist and chamber musician and has commissioned many new works for the instrument. He has appeared as a soloist with orchestras including the London Philharmonic and Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra, and his albums have won numerous awards. An enthusiastic educator, he frequently teaches masterclasses.

Marina Thibeault

McGill University, Schulich School of Music, Canada (page 15) A graduate of McGill University and the Curtis Institute of Music in the US, Canadian violist Marina Thibeault explores both old and new works as a concert artist. She has collaborated with members of the Cleveland and Guarneri quartets as a chamber musician and investigated the connections between sports psychology and music performance as part of her doctoral studies.

Violist David Bryson Quiggle at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln (see page 22)

MAIN PHOTO CHRISTIAN NIELINGER. MASURENKO PHOTO THILO NASS. THIBEAULT PHOTO BO HUANG. MÖNKEMEYER PHOTO IRÈNE ZANDEL

‘Vibrato should be used only as a suppor t, never to form and shape the whole sound’

CELLO

Peter Martens

University of Stellenbosch, Konservatorium & Dept of Music, South Africa (page 35) The South African–Belgian cellist Peter Martens leads a varied career as a soloist, chamber musician, educator and festival director. A graduate of the University of Stellenbosch, the University of Cape Town and the Mozarteum in Salzburg, he is an active performer both locally and abroad. In addition to teaching, Martens is currently the principal cellist of the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra and the Cape Town-based Amici Quartet.

Natalie Clein

Royal College of Music, UK (page 39), Hochschule für Musik und Theater Rostock, Germany (page 23) British cellist Natalie Clein rose to prominence as a winner of the BBC Young Musician competition, and has since distinguished herself as a soloist, chamber musician and artistic director. She has premiered many new works, undertaken interdisciplinary projects and was awarded an OBE for her services to music. Clein studied with Heinrich Schiff in Vienna, and at the Royal College of Music in London where she now teaches.

Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt

Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt Weimar (page 22), Kronberg Academy, Germany (page 25) German cellist Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt is highly sought after as a soloist, chamber musician and educator. He studied with Aldo Parisot at the Juilliard School and David Geringas at the Musikhochschule Lübeck, and has won prizes at notable competitions including the ‘Grand Prix de la Ville de Paris’ at the International Rostropovich Competition in Paris, with Rostropovich himself on the jury.

Cellist Johannes Moser at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln (see page 22)

MAIN PHOTO CHRISTIAN NIELINGER. SCHMIDT PHOTO SIMON PAULY. CLEIN PHOTO NEDA NAVAEE.

Bass practice at the École Supérieure Musique et Danse Hauts-de-France – Lille (see page 21)

MARTENS PHOTO JAC DE VILLIERS

DOUBLE BASS

‘When I star ted, for me the double bass was just a larger violin’

MAIN PHOTO OLIVIER DUBOIS. RUSSELL PHTOO COURTESY DISCOVER DOUBLE BASS. CONYERS PHOTO NICOLE ROCHE

Joseph Conyers Juilliard School, NY, US (page 54), Temple University, PA, US (page 59) A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, US double bassist Joseph Conyers is currently the principal double bassist of the Philadelphia Orchestra and an artist of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. He was awarded the Sphinx Organization’s medal of excellence in 2019. In addition to performing as a soloist and chamber musician, Conyers is a passionate youth ambassador and is deeply involved in community music.

Phoebe Russell University of Queensland School of Music, Australia (page 11) Australian double bassist Phoebe Russell made her debut with the Berlin Philharmonic as part of the orchestra’s Karajan Academy and has since performed with orchestras across the globe. In addition to engagements as a soloist, she is currently the principal double bassist of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and a member of the Australian chamber music group Ensemble Q.

Božo Paradžik Hochschule für Musik Freiburg, Germany (page 22), Hochschule Luzern Musik, Switzerland (page 37); Royal Northern College of Music, UK (page 39) Croatian double bassist Božo Paradžik began his career performing in orchestras such as the Residentie Orchestra in The Hague and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and has since dedicated himself as a soloist and chamber musician. He frequently teaches masterclasses across Europe.